TheHardwoodPlaza.com

Welcome to the Hardwood Plaza, where you can find great deals on hardwood flooring and information about wood flooring as a valuable choice in floor coverings.

Hardwood Flooring Information

Hardwood has always been one of the most popular flooring choice for consumers as it continues to be.

For people who have not experienced or lived with hardwood flooring it is hard to explain exactly, other than to say, there is nothing quite like it. The benefits of having a hardwood floor in your home or office as opposed to vinyl, linoleum, tile, concrete and carpet are almost incalculable. Here are a few.

Matchless Beauty

If one were to compare human creations to those of Mother Nature, I think few would dispute the most exquisite creations would be those made by nature.
Unlocking the exceptional beauty inside trees presents one of the, if not the most aesthetically-pleasing flooring good.

The labyrinthine windings of the striations throughout woods used for flooring are pieces of artwork in themselves. The patterns on almost every piece of wood that will enter your home are entirely original. No two persons have the same hardwood floor! What else can most people say that about? Very little indeed.

In contrast, all other main types of flooring, like vinyl, linoleum, tile, concrete and carpet since they are man-made, tend to be mass produced. This means they are endless replicas of the same pattern, with generally minor variations. This also means that thousands and thousands of people have the exact same vinyl or linoleum floor! Who wants that?

Diverse Variety

The diversity of nature’s bounty is profound. There are about as many types of hardwood flooring as there are species of tree. If that is not variety then nothing is. But the depth of hardwood’s diversity goes further. There are so many hues, colors, tones, and tinges inherent in the broad of base of trees worldwide that there is the right look for anybody.

In hardwood flooring, not only is there a cornucopia of shades and tones. The softness and hardness with each type of wood greatly varies as well! Seeking a really soft wood floor that’ll be easier on your feet, your back, or your baby’s hands? Go with Spruce, Cedar, or Douglas-Fir. Seeking an extra tough wood floor that’ll be able to handle heavy foot traffic or severe weathering conditions? Go with Beach, Oak, or Pine.

With wood flooring, one is always able to find exactly what they want because the lumber selection is so massive!

Clean – Sanitary – Easy to Maintain

Wood floors are certainly easier to clean than many other floors such a vinyl or carpet. Vinyl, which is basically made of plastics and deleterious organic compounds, is easily decayed by common cleaning floor products and chemicals. A decent vacuum is not cheap, and neither are the replacement bags needed after almost every cleaning, making carpet maintenance pricey and inconvenient. Whereas, wood is very easy to wipe down, using something like Murphy’s Oil Soap which is only like 3 or 4 dollars at your local drugstore.

In addition, wood floor are some of the most sanitary. This is particularly true when compared to carpets. Dust, dirt, pet dander, mold, food, and other unwanted agents over time immerse themselves in the microfibers of rugs, so even with a Dyson (the best of vacuum on the market) you, your family, and/or your co-workers will be exposed to this unhealthy elements.

Asthma is at record levels, and with report after report discovering that most people’s indoor environment’s are worst to their wellbeing than their outdoor ones, the issue of cleanliness and sanitation when it comes to flooring is not to be overlooked.

Durability – Longevity

Depending on how one takes care of their hardwood floor and the level of foot traffic as well as weathering it is exposed to – wood floors last and they last and they last. Since wood floors can be pretty easily refinished, the underlying wood often stays intact over decades as the finishing products protect it from moisture, debris, and your average daily wear and tear.

It is obvious that flooring goods, such as carpeting, can have a hard time lasting much more than a decade. Some people have hardwood floors for their entire lives! What can beat that?

Eco-Friendly

If the consumer acquires their wood floor products from a Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) accredited lumber provider, then one can feel safe in knowing that the wood in their home did not come at the detriment to the local environments and indigenous peoples. There are more and more companies who have attained the FSC stamp of approval. Your selection is not limited by being environmental!

Furthermore, as already noted, hardwood flooring tends to outlast most other types of flooring, enduring for decades. This makes it more environmentally-friendly because the longer a product lasts, the less it needs to be replaced, the less ends up in dumps and landfills, and the less wasteful is your flooring product choice.

Also, wood is recyclable and biodegradable. Wood from hardwood floors can be used again in legs for new chairs, desks for school children, to make woodchips for gardeners, etc. etc. What is someone going to do with vinyl or carpet after they are done with it? Let it rot.

Wood from hardwood floors is biodegradable, meaning even if it does not qualify for becoming reclaimed lumber, it can be left out in the elements to dissolve naturally into the Earth, even enriching the soil at times helping other trees grow.

Price

With new online markets, pitting more and more companies against each other for the first time, costs of some of the finest flooring have been driven down, making them more affordable than ever!

Safety

In a fire, believe it or not, hardwoods, other than concrete and tile, are the most fire-resistant of the primary flooring products. Carpet, linoleum, and vinyl are highly flammable. In fact, patents are out right not to make some of these other product less ignitable because people realize the dangers these flooring products may pose in a fire. They are also made of and/or contain noxious organic compounds which can kill a person due to inhalation before a fire reaches their persons.

There are "many disastrous fires in which carpeting has been found to have caused death through burning and/or asphyxiation," reports one of the people purposing patents to tackle the current issue for fire safety and carpeting.